2013 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[duncan_idaho]

Proposed 2013 Slogan: Tigers: They're what's for dinner
Actual 2013 Slogan: Come to Play
A better, more accurate, or alternative slogan: All in, no panic, we promise.

Dayton Moore has pushed all his chips in and is riding on King/Jack suited, hoping it comes together, he gets some good luck, and he hits the nuts by the river card. There's potential, oh yes, there's potential. There's also risk.

At the midway point, Dayton is left counting on the river card. The flop and turn didn't help him, and he's looking at the Tigers holding a pair of Queens and the Indians holding a pair of 9s. His 2013 plan hasn't failed - yet - but the odds are not in his favor.

Burning questions updates below.

Burning Questions for 2013:

1) Will the improve rotation be improved enough? Does James Shields pitch like a fringe No. 1 away from Tampa Bay? Does Ervin Santana pitch to his highest upside in his walk year? Can Jeremy Guthrie build on his strong performance as a Royal in 2012? Can Wade Davis bring his new mentality- and velocity - back to the rotation?

Midseason check-in: Yes, the rotation is certainly improved enough. Shields has pitched like a fringe No. 1 and Santana is having his best season. Guthrie has horrible peripherals but has continued to perform well at his home park and eat innings on the road. Davis brought neither his kick-ass mentality or improved velocity back to the rotation and is in Luke Hochevar/Hiram Davies territory.

2) When will Luke Hochevar be shown the door?
Midseason check-in: It appears, never, at this point. Hochevar has been solid in non-leverage situations, though pretty much every time he has been used with men on base in an inning, it has been a disaster.

3) Does Hosmer bounce back?
Midseason check-in: It took some time, but Hosmer's performance from June 1 on is probably the most encouraging thing about the 2013 season so far.
4) Can Moustakas hit for a whole season like he did in the first half of 2012?
Midseason check-in: Nope. Moustakas was god-awful, then great for about 3 weeks, then god-awful again. He has been better since he started working with Brett and Grafol but still has a long way to go.
5) Who regresses?
Midseason check-in: Welp, Alicides Escobar is not a surprising name here (though Yost's stubborn insistence on hitting him second is ridiculous). Billy Butler is a surprise. He isn't having a terrible year - still contributing a lot to the offense - but he's not hitting for the average or power he has displayed over the past several years.
6) Who plays 2B?
Midseason check-in: A whole bunch of people, and not that great. Gio is at least getting a shot, though he once again is not doing much with it.
7) Can Jeff Francoeur be at least replacement level, rather than epic horrible level?
Midseason check-in: Hahahahahahahahahahaha
8) Will Dayton Moore survive to see 2014?
Midseason check-in: Outlook uncertain. Probably still around, unless the team completely tanks in the second half and he does something foolish. My guess - he sacrifices Ned Yost this offseason and gets one more shot with a new manager in 2014.
9) Will Danny Duffy come back healthy? And if he does, is he the same, better or worse?
Midseason check-in: Yes. Velocity looks the same, and it looks likely he is the same guy as before.
10) And the big one: Has KC added enough to run down the big-money Detroit Tigers?
Midseason check-in: Doesn't look like it, does it?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Last night's lineup replacing Gretz with Johnson should be what the Royals roll with for a while IMO.

Dyson - R -8
Esky - R- 6
Gordon - L- 7
Butler - R- DH
Hos - L- 3
Cain - R- 9
Moose - L- 5
Salvy - R- 2
Johnson - S- 4

Dyson is a lefthanded hitter.

But I agree, this should be the lineup

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by penbook

Per MLBNetworkRadio

Ned Yost said they will use Jarrod Dyson in CF more and Lorenzo Cain in RF and wait for Jeff Francoeur to figure it out

There's nothing for Francoeur to figure out.

His bat is slow. He has lost bat speed and can no longer hit decent fastballs in the zone.

He has lost not one but TWO steps in the field. His below average-range is a real hindrance to his OF defense, despite his great arm.

They are realizing this, I think. Gotta be nice about it in the media, though.

[mr. tegu]

Dyson is fun to watch. If could consistently take away pitches to the left side he could get on a base at a very high rate with his speed.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Tonight I'm going to see "42" the Jackie Robinson Story. Looking forward to it very much.

Excellent movie. Harrison Ford needs to be nominated for his role.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I guess posting WAR stats is "caveman" in your book. I guess referring to Fan Graphs is something Don Fortune would do. Clearly, I need to get into your good graces by posting something even more SABR-metric-y.

Or you could just make up stats. Wouldn't be the first time.

[Ceej]

Someone get the game thread going.

Don't want this Wiggins boner to subside.

Guthrie dominating ought to keep it.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Dyson is a lefthanded hitter.

But I agree, this should be the lineup

I know Dyson is a lefty. Typing to quick before brain reacts.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Chisenhall has only 448 ABs. Clearly didn't give him enough time. He can't learn down in AAA anyway right?

I quoted your comparison of Moose to Frenchy, and called out why that's absurd. Where exactly did Lonnie Chisenhall fit into that comparison?

If you throw a bunch of shit at the wall, you're going to get called out for it (i.e. comparing a 24 year old prospect to a 29 year old has been). If you want to compare Moose to Chisenhall, then that's a more relevant conversation.

[duncan_idaho]

Thoughts on Howie Kendrick if the Angels continue to tank?

I didn't think about it much before this series, but after seeing how hobbled Pujols and how little Josh Hamilton cares, I can see the Angels having a rough year.

They aren't going to trade Trout, and Pujols and Hamilton are untradeable. That basically leaves Trumbo and Kendrick as the only tradeable options.

Kendrick is a good but not great 2B who is fairly expensive ($10 million in 2014 and 15). They could probably get 2-3 nice, young and cheap pieces that would help in return for him.

My eyes still are on Chase Utley, but Kendrick would be a nice consolation prize.

[CaliforniaChief]

I've put Kendrick's name out there before. He is a bit pricey for what you get back, but he's a solid hitter and has good defensive skills as well.

I'd take him, but the Angels would have to eat some of that salary.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Thoughts on Howie Kendrick if the Angels continue to tank?

I didn't think about it much before this series, but after seeing how hobbled Pujols and how little Josh Hamilton cares, I can see the Angels having a rough year.

They aren't going to trade Trout, and Pujols and Hamilton are untradeable. That basically leaves Trumbo and Kendrick as the only tradeable options.

Kendrick is a good but not great 2B who is fairly expensive ($10 million in 2014 and 15). They could probably get 2-3 nice, young and cheap pieces that would help in return for him.

My eyes still are on Chase Utley, but Kendrick would be a nice consolation prize.

I'll take Trumbo.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Tonight I'm going to see "42" the Jackie Robinson Story. Looking forward to it very much.

Great movie, saw it last night.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I'll take Trumbo.

I'd love Trumbo but can't see them moving him for anything less than a King's ransom (or Trout, obviously, at really any price). Too young, too controlled, too inexpensive. And too good.

The time to strike at Trumbo was probably the past offseason, when he was coming off a bit of a down year and his stock was a little lower. And before they cleared their huge glut of OF options.

[CaliforniaChief]

How about Colon/Giavotella, Coleman, and Eibner for him?

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by KevB

If you want to compare Moose to Chisenhall, then that's a more relevant conversation.

This is some serious Twilight Zone stuff here. So now to that point: explain why Chisenhall is down but not Moose. I was told these guys need MLB time to "develop" and that AAA won't help them. But here we see a team that actually develops hitters at this level sending him down. A guy who's quite comparable to Moose.


People wonder why we can't develop hitters. Well? Here's one possible answer. Right here. In the division. They're doing something drastically different.